Filming of the new hit BBC TV series 55 Degrees North brought traffic to a standstill and sparked a police alert.

A member of the public raised the alarm yesterday after spotting a man waving a gun and holding another man with tape around his mouth on the High Level Bridge.

Fearing that a gunman was on the loose, armed police were brought in and officers from Newcastle's Market Street police station closed the bridge.

But it was quickly found that it was two actors and a dummy gun during filming of the new BBC-1 drama series which has Tyneside as its backdrop.

Newcastle-based Insp Keith Hall said: "A member of the public rang us to say they saw a man holding a gun and another male with a taped mouth. We did what we normally do. We deployed our firearms unit to be on the safe side.

"We quickly realised it was the filming of 55 Degrees North and that they had all the appropriate permission."

Police examined the gun, which was found to be a dummy weapon, and talked to the film crew.